The magic of Parks Week reaches across the Tasman

The magic of Parks Week reaches across the Tasman - Press Release with slightly rubbish parody video

Locals and visitors from out of town are taking part in the many activities that are being offered across New Zealand and Australia as part of Parks Week.

Taking place until Sunday, Parks Week brings together Australian and New Zealand councils and other organisations with an interest in the future of parks. The idea behind the week is to raise awareness of the social and economic value of these spaces.

New Zealand Recreation Association chief executive Andrew Leslie said he was looking forward to seeing Australian and New Zealand organisations work more closely together.

“We have a great deal in common. People in New Zealand and Australia spend a great deal of their outdoor recreation time in parks.”

“It makes absolute sense for us to work together and merge our talents, to obtain better outcomes for parks, and for our communities,” Mr Leslie said.

As part of Parks Week, GEO AR Games have been issued the 200 Magical Park Challenge, turning parks into digital fantasy land playgrounds.

Using a mobile device and the Magical Park app, Councils can transform underutilised spaces or playgrounds into an exciting and engaging world for kids and families to explore, creating a blended virtual world seen through the app once they enter the boundaries of the magical park.

Geo AR Games are the creators of Magical Park (a world’s first in New Zealand!) and their CEO Melanie Langlotz said “We are revolutionizing the way we see technology... literally! Geo AR Games is leading the charge in Geospatial Augmented Reality, an innovative new concept that combines the great outdoors with mobile gaming.”

"Kids get to interact and explore a fantasy world where they have to heard kittens, run away from the bad fairy or come face to face with a giant T-Rex – all in a local park using your smart phone or tablet.”

Parks Week, which is managed by the New Zealand Recreation Association (NZRA) and Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA), is running from 4-12 March in 2017. As part of the event, councils and other organisations on both sides of the Tasman are organising a programme of activities throughout the week. To find out what’s happening in your area, go to http://www.parks-week.org/

In honour of Parks Week, NZRA got together and made a slightly rubbish parody video. Click here: https://youtu.be/5BEvMM19GzI for “It’s a Kind of Magical Park”.

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